Football 5-a-side

Overview

Paralympic football 5-a-side is a type of football devised for visually impaired players. Each team consists of five members. Games are played on a court with the same dimensions as those of a futsal court. On the lines on both sides of a court, fences of approximately 1m in height are aligned. Using a ball that makes noise whenever it is in motion, players compete 20 minutes (playing time) in each of the first and second halves.

JPN vs CHN at Blind Football World Championships 2014 in Tokyo Source: Japan Blind Football Association

Four blindfolded athletes are field players, and an athlete with no or only slight visual impairment plays as a goalkeeper, working with the coach and a guide (caller) to provide verbal information such as the location of other players and the ball. When players move toward the player with the ball, they are required to say “voy” (meaning “go” in Spanish). If players do not shout “voy,” they are penalised. These games often provide action-packed exciting matches that exceed spectator expectations.

History

Football for the visually impaired was developed at the beginning of 1980, and gained popularity in Europe and South America. This sport, dubbed “blind football,” was introduced to Japan in 2001, and has been an official sport since the Athens 2004 Paralympic Games.